1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to slide rules having relatively moving components and indicia provided thereon, wherein selective alignments of the indicia provide information for a user. More particularly, the present invention is a slide rule for indicating to a user the appropriate play that should be made by him or her given a predetermined situation encountered during a game of blackjack, the parameters associated with the situation being translated to the slide rule by the user selectively aligning indicia provided on the slide rule and then reading therefrom the appropriate play option response.
2. Description of the Related Art
The card game of blackjack is very well liked and has become a favorite in casinos. Blackjack is played with one or more decks of cards, each containing 52 conventional playing cards. The cards are assigned particular values which are dealt by a dealer to the players under rules of the game. The object of the game is simple: for a player, with values pre-assigned to his or her dealt cards, to get closer than the dealer to 21 without going over. There are a number of rules associated with the play of the game which are worthy of preliminary discussion herein.
Blackjack is played around a semicircular table, with usually seven player places. The dealer stands behind the table, facing the players. The table has a circular imprint at each place whereat the players place their bet, in the form of chips, prior to card dealing.
As mentioned, the cards are those of conventional 52 card decks, with one or more decks being used. In this regard, an ace has the value of "1" or "11" at the election of the player, face cards (Jack, Queen, King) have a value of "10" and the remaining cards ("2" through "10") have their "pip" or number value. The cards held by each player and the dealer are, respectively, added using these numerical rules to arrive at a total value. A hand is "soft" when the ace may be counted as either "1" or "11" without the total value going over "21"; a hand is "hard" when the ace can only be counted as a "1" without the total value going over "21"; a hand is "stiff" if the total value of the hand can go over "21" with the next dealt card; and a hand is "busted" if the total value has exceeded "21".
The dealer shuffles the cards and then commences to deal them, starting with the dealer's left-most player. All cards dealt to the players are usually dealt face up, and the first card dealt to the dealer is face down, while the second card dealt the dealer is dealt face up (the dealer's up card).
As mentioned, the object of the game is to win by the player having a total value closer to "21" than the dealer without going over. If the player goes over "21", the player loses or "busts". If the player and the dealer have the same total value, then the player does not win or loose, known as a "push". Accordingly, the dealer's up card is extremely important for the player in gauging play strategy to beat the dealer's hand.
If a player is dealt cards having a total value of "21", the player has a "blackjack" which is the ultimate hand, paying one and one-half times the player's bet. If the dealer gets a "blackjack" with his two dealt cards, he automatically wins and collects all bets, with two exceptions. The first exception is where the player puts up half-again more bet as "insurance" in the event the dealer's up card is an ace. If the dealer does not have a "blackjack", the dealer collects the player's insurance bet; but, if the dealer has a "blackjack", then the player retains all of his bet. The second exception is when a "push" occurs.
If the player has a "blackjack" and the dealer does not, the player wins and is paid immediately. Otherwise, after the two cards are dealt the players and the dealer, each player must decide what next to do to better enhance the chance of winning over the dealer's hand. What to do is based upon three criteria: the value of the two cards of the player and the value of the up card of the dealer. If a player is dealt a "blackjack" the play option response is obvious; otherwise, the player has 4 basic options of play response: the player can "split" (or "split pairs") wherein if the cards dealt are a pair, and if the player elects, the hand may be split into two hands provided the player places another bet to cover the new hand; the player may "double down" wherein the player doubles his or her bet, but in so doing may take only one card (no additional cards will be given by the dealer); the player can "stand" wherein the player elects not to draw any additional cards (the player thus playing with only the original two dealt cards); or the player may "hit" wherein the player elects to take additional cards from the dealer in order to improve the total value of his or her hand.
With the foregoing principles of play in mind, it is apparent that the player must carefully consider what the most advantageous play option would be based upon the his or her cards and the dealer's up card. It has come to be recognized that there is a unique appropriate play option response for each of the possible 350 card combinations, which if the player chooses to so elect, his or her chances of winning are greatly improved. It is generally considered that the dealer has about a 6% advantage over a player. But, if the player makes play option response based carefully upon the appropriate one play option for each of the 350 card combinations, the player's chances of winning become equalized with the dealer.
The 350 possible card combinations, and the appropriate player play option response for each, are as recited in Table I immediately hereinbelow:
TABLE I ______________________________________ Card Combination Player's Cards Dealer's Up Card Response ______________________________________ 1 5 A hit 2 5 2 hit 3 5 3 hit 4 5 4 hit 5 5 5 hit 6 5 6 hit 7 5 7 hit 8 5 8 hit 9 5 9 hit 10 5 10 hit 11 6 A hit 12 6 2 hit 13 6 3 hit 14 6 4 hit 15 6 5 hit 16 6 6 hit 17 6 7 hit 18 6 8 hit 19 6 9 hit 20 6 10 hit 21 7 A hit 22 7 2 hit 23 7 3 hit 24 7 4 hit 25 7 5 hit 26 7 6 hit 27 7 7 hit 28 7 8 hit 29 7 9 hit 30 7 10 hit 31 8 A hit 32 8 2 hit 33 8 3 hit 34 8 4 hit 35 8 5 double down 36 8 6 double down 37 8 7 hit 38 8 8 hit 39 8 9 hit 40 8 10 hit 41 9 A hit 42 9 2 double down 43 9 3 double down 44 9 4 double down 45 9 5 double down 46 9 6 double down 47 9 7 hit 48 9 8 hit 49 9 9 hit 50 9 10 hit 51 10 A hit 52 10 2 double down 53 10 3 double down 54 10 4 double down 55 10 5 double down 56 10 6 double down 57 10 7 double down 58 10 8 double down 59 10 9 double down 60 10 10 hit 61 11 A double down 62 11 2 double down 63 11 3 double down 64 11 4 double down 65 11 5 double down 66 11 6 double down 67 11 7 double down 68 11 8 double down 69 11 9 double down 70 11 10 double down 71 12 A hit 72 12 2 hit 73 12 3 hit 74 12 4 stand 75 12 5 stand 76 12 6 stand 77 12 7 hit 78 12 8 hit 79 12 9 hit 80 12 10 hit 81 13 A hit 82 13 2 stand 83 13 3 stand 84 13 4 stand 85 13 5 stand 86 13 6 stand 87 13 7 hit 88 13 8 hit 89 13 9 hit 90 13 10 hit 91 14 A hit 92 14 2 stand 93 14 3 stand 94 14 4 stand 95 14 5 stand 96 14 6 stand 97 14 7 hit 98 14 8 wt 99 14 9 hit 100 14 10 hit 101 15 A hit 102 15 2 stand 103 15 3 stand 104 15 4 stand 105 15 5 stand 106 15 6 stand 107 15 7 hit 108 15 8 hit 109 15 9 hit 110 15 10 hit 111 16 A hit 112 16 2 stand 113 16 3 stand 114 16 4 stand 115 16 5 stand 116 16 6 stand 117 16 7 hit 118 16 8 hit 119 16 9 hit 120 16 10 hit 121 17 A stand 122 17 2 stand 123 17 3 stand 124 17 4 stand 125 17 5 stand 126 17 6 stand 127 17 7 stand 128 17 8 stand 129 17 9 stand 130 17 10 stand 131 18 A stand 132 18 2 stand 133 18 3 stand 134 18 4 stand 135 18 5 stand 136 18 6 stand 137 18 7 stand 138 18 8 stand 139 18 9 stand 140 18 10 stand 141 19 A stand 142 19 2 stand 143 19 3 stand 144 19 4 stand 145 19 5 stand 146 19 6 stand 147 19 7 stand 148 19 8 stand 149 19 9 stand 150 19 10 stand 151 20 A stand 152 20 2 stand 153 20 3 stand 154 20 4 stand 155 20 5 stand 156 20 6 stand 157 20 7 stand 158 20 8 sknd 159 20 9 stand 160 20 10 stand 161 A-A A split 162 A-A 2 split 163 A-A 3 split 164 A-A 4 split 165 A-A 5 split 166 A-A 6 split 167 A-A 7 split 168 A-A 8 split 169 A-A 9 split 170 A-A 10 split 171 A-2 A hit 172 A-2 2 hit 173 A-2 3 hit 174 A-2 4 double down 175 A-2 5 double down 176 A-2 6 double down 177 A-2 7 hit 178 A-2 8 hit 179 A-2 9 hit 180 A-2 10 hit 181 A-3 A hit 182 A-3 2 hit 183 A-3 3 hit 184 A-3 4 double down 185 A-3 5 double down 186 A-3 6 double down 187 A-3 7 hit 188 A-3 8 hit 189 A-3 9 hit 190 A-3 10 hit 191 A-4 A hit 192 A-4 2 hit 193 A-4 3 hit 194 A-4 4 double down 195 A-4 5 double down 196 A-4 6 double down 197 A-4 7 hit 198 A-4 8 hit 199 A-4 9 hit 200 A-4 10 hit 201 A-5 A hit 202 A-5 2 hit 203 A-5 3 hit 204 A-5 4 double down 205 A-5 5 double down 206 A-5 6 double down 207 A-5 7 hit 208 A-5 8 hit 209 A-5 9 hit 210 A-5 10 hit 211 A-6 A hit 212 A-6 2 double down 213 A-6 3 double down 214 A-6 4 double down 215 A-6 5 double down 216 A-6 6 double down 217 A-6 7 hit 218 A-6 8 hit 219 A-6 9 hit 220 A-6 10 hit 221 A-7 A stand 222 A-7 2 stand 223 A-7 3 double down 224 A-7 4 double down 225 A-7 5 double down 226 A-7 6 double down 227 A-7 7 stand 228 A-7 8 stand 229 A-7 9 hit 230 A-7 10 hit 231 A-8 A stand 232 A-8 2 stand 233 A-8 3 stand 234 A-8 4 stand 235 A-8 5 stand 236 A-8 6 double down 237 A-8 7 stand 238 A-8 8 stand 239 A-8 9 stand 240 A-8 10 stand 241 A-9 A stand 242 A-9 2 stand 243 A-9 3 stand 244 A-9 4 stand 245 A-9 5 stand 246 A-9 6 stand 247 A-9 7 stand 248 A-9 8 stand 249 A-9 9 stand 250 A-9 10 stand 251 A-10 A blackjack 252 A-10 2 blackjack 253 A-10 3 blackjack 254 A-10 4 blackjack 255 A-10 5 blackjack 256 A-10 6 blackjack 257 A-10 7 blackjack 258 A-10 8 blackjack 259 A-10 9 blackjack 260 A-10 10 blackjack 261 2-2 A hit 262 2-2 2 hit 263 2-2 3 split 264 2-2 4 split 265 2-2 5 split 266 2-2 6 split 267 2-2 7 split 268 2-2 8 hit 269 2-2 9 hit 270 2-2 10 hit 271 3-3 A hit 272 3-3 2 hit 273 3-3 3 hit 274 3-3 4 split 275 3-3 5 split 276 3-3 6 split 277 3-3 7 hit 278 3-3 8 hit 279 3-3 9 hit 290 3-3 10 hit 281 4-4 A hit 282 4-4 2 hit 283 4-4 3 hit 284 4-4 4 hit 285 4-4 5 double down 286 4-4 6 double down 287 4-4 7 hit 288 4-4 8 hit 289 4-4 9 hit 2901 4-4 10 hit 291 5-5 A hit 292 5-5 2 double down 293 5-5 3 double down 294 5-5 4 double down 295 5-5 5 double down 296 5-5 6 double down 297 5-5 7 double down 298 5-5 8 double down 299 5-5 9 double down 300 5-5 10 hit 301 6-6 A hit 302 6-6 2 split 303 6-6 3 split 304 6-6 4 split 305 6-6 5 split 306 6-6 6 split 307 6-6 7 hit 308 6-6 8 hit 309 6-6 9 hit 310 6-6 10 hit 311 7-7 A hit 312 7-7 2 split 313 7-7 3 split 314 7-7 4 split 315 7-7 5 split 316 7-7 6 split 317 7-7 7 split 318 7-7 8 hit 319 7-7 9 hit 320 7-7 10 hit 321 8-8 A split 322 8-8 2 split 323 8-8 3 split 324 8-8 4 split 325 8-8 5 split 326 8-8 6 split 327 8-8 7 split 328 8-8 8 split 329 8-8 9 split 330 8-8 10 split 331 9-9 A stand 332 9-9 2 split 333 9-9 3 split 334 9-9 4 split 335 9-9 5 split 336 9-9 6 split 337 9-9 7 split 338 9-9 8 split 339 9-9 9 split 340 9-9 10 stand 341 10-10 A stand 342 10-10 2 stand 343 10-10 3 stand 344 10-10 4 stand 345 10-10 5 stand 346 10-10 6 stand 347 10-10 7 stand 348 10-10 8 stand 349 10-10 9 stand 350 10-10 10 stand ______________________________________
In Table I the total value of a player's hand is indicated by a single number, unless an ace (indicated by a "A") or a pair is involved, whereupon each of the card values are indicated separately for each hand (each value being separated by a hyphen).
It will be immediately deduced from the foregoing, that it is rather difficult for an average player to memorize these appropriate plays, and in the heat and excitement of a game, even the most accomplished player can experience a memory block at a crucial time. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a device which presents the 350 card combinations and the appropriate play option response for each card combination in a compact configuration, wherein and the appropriate play option response is swiftly accessible to a player so that the player can confidently play blackjack with a heightened expectancy of winning.